[Reading Science] Overcoming the Urge to Rush the Opening of the Space Aviation Agency

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"They say the successful candidates will be announced on May 10, but is it possible to ask them to start work by May 27?"

This was a question raised by an attendee at the recruitment briefing for fixed-term employees of the Space and Aviation Administration held recently at Sacheon City Hall in Gyeongnam. Those currently working in private companies or research institutes know well that it is not easy to settle personal affairs and move to a new workplace in just 17 days. Researchers must rush to Sacheon, where the Space and Aviation Administration is located, without even having time to finish ongoing research projects. It can be inferred that many of the successful candidates for the fixed-term positions at the Space and Aviation Administration, announced by the Ministry of Science and ICT starting from the 18th, may not be able to start working properly from the opening day on May 27. Although the number is only 50, it is clear that it will be difficult for all the personnel who will take the first step with the Space and Aviation Administration to gather and prepare for a fresh start. A Ministry of Science and ICT official attending the briefing responded to the attendee's question by saying, "We will take flexible measures to allow new hires to start work after the opening of the Space and Aviation Administration, considering the process of job transition." Ironically, this is tantamount to acknowledging that it will take considerable time for the Space and Aviation Administration to establish a proper organization.

Recruiting key personnel is also a concern. The salary for the Grade 1 Mission Headquarters Chief, a key position at the Space and Aviation Administration, has been set at around 250 million KRW, equivalent to the presidential level. Is this enough? In private companies, it is common for the head of an organization to earn significantly less than outstanding employees. To secure talent, it would be necessary to offer salaries equal to or higher than the presidential level, but a psychological limit has been set by the presidential salary standard. Even for positions lower than the Mission Headquarters Chief, if necessary, they must be recruited with exceptional treatment, but there are clear limits in terms of compensation. If attracting personnel working overseas, the situation becomes more complicated. It is impossible to force them and their families to live in Korea. Therefore, financial support is needed to allow them to live apart from their families.

The ‘New Space’ era of private space development is different from the era led by NASA. If we plan to open the New Space era, we must compete with SpaceX to secure superior talent. Even greater bold measures are needed.

If people are software, then the preparation of the hardware, i.e., the office building, has also been delayed. The Ministry of Science and ICT decided on the preferred bidder for the temporary office of the Space and Aviation Administration on the 7th of last month. Contrary to the initial explanation, the Space and Aviation Administration has not signed a formal contract with the preferred bidder for the temporary office even after a month. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to expedite the construction for the Space and Aviation Administration’s move-in through a private contract rather than a bidding process due to the delay in the contract, but the physical time is tight. The Space and Aviation Administration also needs to establish relationships with subordinate organizations such as the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. It must also work closely with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which is responsible for the budget, as well as the National Assembly. There are many complex issues to resolve.

As the opening day of the Space and Aviation Administration approaches, public interest and expectations from the political and industrial sectors will grow. President Yoon Suk-yeol has already visited Sacheon, Gyeongnam, where the Space and Aviation Administration will be located, and declared the goal of securing a 10% share of the space market by 2045. Expectations are high, but achievements in the space sector require a long wait. Moreover, the space sector involves many risk factors. There is no need to rush to turn dreams into reality. We must not forget that patience and endurance are essential conditions for the success of the Korea Space and Aviation Administration.

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